What's the status of Tank Dell? Texans GM Nick Caserio provides update

Tank Dell is expected to be good to go in 2026.

When? Well, now it seems like a return date remains a mystery.

The Houston Texans' star No. 2 pass-catcher has been working toward a return to the field over the past 14 months after suffering a knee injury in the regular-season loss to Kansas City in December of 2024. While he's trending toward running drills, Houston remains cautious about setting a timeline for when he expects to return to the field ahead of Week 1.

Earlier this offseason, Texans coach DeMeco Ryans told reporters at the annual league meetings in Phoenix that Dell was "grinding," but he didn't know when he would be back for on-field drills. Initially, that seemed to only qualify when asked about OTAs later on next month.

But with the draft less than two weeks away, the Texans must look at all options on the table, including adding depth behind Dell via the draft should he not be cleared to return until the middle of the season. When asked for another update on speedy wideout, general manager Nick Caserio's left the return date somewhat open-ended.

"With Tank, honestly, it's probably a day-to-day, we'll kind of see where he is," Caserio said on Monday. "Probably have a better idea as we get through the spring of what his availability is going to be in training camp. He's been here pretty religiously, since he's been able to do more once he's gotten out of the rehab stage."

Coming into his own in 2024, Dell was carted off the field in December of 2024 after hauling in a touchdown pass from C.J. Stroud, tearing multiple ligaments in his left knee while also dislocating his kneecap. Because of the severity of the injury, he missed the entire 2025 season while undergoing multiple surgeries and rehabilitation workouts.

Midway through last season, Dell began to ramp up his workouts. He even tried to make a push for a postseason return after the Texans clinched 12 wins, but the team chose to give him more time to get acclimated to his body and prep for the start of a new season.

Houston would love nothing more than for Dell to be good to go for September, especially as a secondary weapon for Stroud. A third-round pick from 2023, the University of Houston product had 98 catches for 1,376 yards and 10 touchdowns in 25 games.

While Caserio didn't rule out drafting a receiver to add competition to the room, he did clarify that Dell's injury stauts would be the reason for the team's call to either add or pass targeting a option.

"If there is a receiver that we like that we feel we want to add to the team, then we're going to take him independent of what's going on. In the end, the competition will sort itself out," Caserio said. "DeMeco and I talk about this all the time. Get them in the building, they'll figure it out."

Getting Dell healthy isn't only needed for the offense, but also for the future. Entering the final year of his rookie contract, Dell, 26, still remains a mystery on if he'll ever return to peak form. Ryans, for now, just wants to see him play once more.

Should Dell miss time and the Texans were to pass on adding a weapon via the draft, adding a free agent isn't out of the question. Last year, Houston added Pro Bowl running back Nick Chubb from the Cleveland Browns at the start of OTAs once it became clear it would be without Pro Bowler Joe Mixon for the year.

"There's a group of players that we haven't talked about after the draft, if they're not with a team, is there a player that we feel could add some value to our team and program," Caserio said.

"There might be somebody out there who makes sense. We'll try to make an evaluation that we feel makes the most sense for the team.”

This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: What's the status of Tank Dell? Texans GM Nick Caserio provides update